![]() ![]() So now you know how to see Jupiter with a telescope, but what should you be targeting to have the best viewing experience? What to Target When Viewing Jupiter with a Telescope For example, you can see the albedo features of Ganymede because of its massive size. If you have a very large telescope in the range of 12 inches+, you will begin to see subtle features of Jupiter’s satellites. However, the satellites are low-contrast and quite difficult to clearly observe compared to the shadows they cast on Jupiter. When the satellites are transitioning, you can see a satellite(s) as a tiny spot. Stars appear as small pinpricks of light.Ī post shared by Ethan Chappel you may also see white ovals against the planet’s equatorial belts as well as subtle temperate belts. Note that there may be many stars around the planet, but it is easy to locate it because it is disc-shaped. Look through the eyepiece to find out whether or not you have Jupiter in view. When you have the location ready, center the finderscope on the brightest spot you have identified. Find the location of Jupiter using the methods discussed in the section above. Now, all you need to do is set up your small telescope and set the finderscope correctly. Here, I am assuming the conditions are good for stargazing, and you have a small telescope of magnification between 20X and 50X. I am going to discuss how to view the planet with a small telescope, a moderately powerful one, and then a more powerful telescope. Now, let’s look at how you can see Jupiter with a telescope. Each of them is about the size of our Moon. You should see a line of four or three tiny starts. Now, pay attention to either side of the planet. Smith more powerful pair of binoculars will show Jupiter as a slightly yellowish spot that doesn’t twinkle. If you see a bright point of light, that’s Jupiter.Ī post shared by Eric J. Once you find the location of the planet using your application, point your binoculars towards the direction. Binoculars with 7x to 20x magnification will do a good job. You can also use good-quality binoculars to see Jupiter. It will be the brightest spot you will see. You can, therefore, roughly locate the planet. Directly above the horizon will be at 90 degrees, and midway between the horizon and directly overhead is 45 degrees. Now, the horizon itself will be at 0 degrees. Use that plan to try and locate the planet.įor instance, the software may give you the altitude of Jupiter as 12.5 degrees above, say, the Southeast horizon. Most astronomy applications and software will give you a sky plan. If you already know where the planet is, say, by using mobile software, you can start finding it with your naked eye. I mentioned earlier that Jupiter is a big bright planet that you can easily observe without a telescope. When you know the planet is up, you now need to view it. There are also plenty of mobile applications, such as Star Walk 2 for both Android and iPhone, that you can use to locate Jupiter. Software like Stellarium and Sky Safari will give you detailed information on where to look for Jupiter (and other planets). You can easily find a chart of the constellations the planet will be in during different oppositions online.Īnother way to locate Jupiter is by using various astronomy software and mobile applications. ![]() It will also be visible for most part of the night. ![]() During this time, Jupiter will be at its highest point in the sky at midnight. If you are good at identifying constellations, you just need to figure out the opposition of Jupiter in which constellation and you will easily locate it.įor instance, on November 2 nd 2023, the planet’s opposition will place it at 3.9 AU (583431696 kilometers) opposite to the Sun in the constellation Aries. However, there are better and easier ways to find Jupiter in the sky. It doesn’t twinkle, and it often appears before the stars are up. However, when it is up, Jupiter appears as a bright yellow-white or white star. In my experience tracking the planet, sometimes I see it in the early morning, sometimes early in the night, and other times it is very difficult or impossible to locate. It is worth noting that you are not always going to see Jupiter up in the sky because the conditions of the night sky keep changing over the day and throughout the year, so the planet is not going to be up every evening. Jupiter is among the brightest planets in the sky, making it easy to spot and track when it is up. Instead, it has layers that blend into each other smoothly. Jupiter has a massive hot and icy core at its center, but unlike Earth, the planet does not have a surface. The planet is 11 times wider than our planet Earth (that’s about 139900 kilometers in diameter). This giant planet is mostly made of gases helium and hydrogen. A post shared by NASA we go deeper into viewing Jupiter with a telescope, we first need to understand what Jupiter is.
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